By Awwal Umar The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed com...
By Awwal Umar
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed commitment to the establishment of state police, describing the initiative as “long overdue.”
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, on Tuesday, the group lauded the President’s clear stance on decentralising the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), saying it would enhance security and bring law enforcement closer to the people.
“We are aware that President Bola Tinubu is committed to having state police take off as soon as possible, going by his pronouncements and the steps his government has taken on this issue,” Ajayi said.
He referenced Tinubu’s recent remarks made during a Town Hall meeting in Makurdi, Benue State, where the President restated his resolve to implement state policing. Ajayi also pointed to Tinubu’s address at the Constitution Review Legislative Dialogue on National Security held in Abuja, organized by the House of Representatives in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
According to Afenifere, the growing support from both national and state lawmakers, as well as from many governors, signals that the realisation of state police is within reach.
Ajayi traced Nigeria’s history of policing, noting that since independence in 1960, the country has operated a centralised police structure under the exclusive control of the Federal Government. He said various calls for decentralisation over the years have been ignored, despite expert recommendations.
He cited two key reports: the 2006 Presidential Committee on Police Reform, chaired by M. D. Yusuf, and the 2012 committee headed by Parry Osayande, both of which advocated for a decentralised police structure. However, their recommendations were never implemented.
Ajayi also referenced the 2021 joint declarations by governors of the 17 Southern states, made during meetings in Asaba, Lagos, and Enugu, where they unanimously demanded the creation of state police as a crucial step toward addressing rising insecurity.
He added that recent discussions during a Council of State meeting further reaffirmed national consensus on the issue.
“In view of the convergence of opinions among the executive, legislative, and subnational governments, we are hopeful that the establishment of state police in Nigeria will materialise soon,” the Afenifere statement concluded.
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